Baby Be Gone
by B3-Brv3
Summary: I woke when my baby brother had slapped me, telling me that something had gone wrong. Of course something was wrong, Theodore Lindsay Templeton was no longer babbling like an infant. He was talking as an adult. And there was a reason... something more serious and sinister was happening that neither of us were prepared for. And the babies of the world were all at danger. Boss Baby.
1. Chapter 1

I was seven and a half when I got my new baby brother, Theodore Lindsay Templeton.

When I first laid eyes on him, it was an immediate dislike. Who was this guy? What did he want? Why was he so _fat_? But once I got to know my baby brother- and we just so happen to save the world from Francis Francis, he was like my best friend.

And when he turned into a real baby to live with us for good, I was overjoyed... but also... kinda sad.

Here I was, with a little brother who had been so grown up and mature... turned into just a baby... that really couldn't do much.

Yeah, I liked to play with him, and I still loved my little brother... but it was like I had lost my best friend in a way.

And in a sense... I kinda wanted him back.

But knew, that simply wasn't the way things worked.

~x~

At least... that's what I thought

~x~

"Templeton! Templeton!"

I woke up when I felt the small slap on my face and looked upwards with my sleepy eyes, seeing Theodore looking at me with an angry stare.

"Oh, hey, Ted."

"Hey, Nothing." Ted said to me, his voice deep and reverberating from his tiny infant body. "What is going on!"

I sat up on my bed. I was soon to turn eight. I looked at my brother with confused eyes and just asked.

"What are you talking about- w-wait." I said quickly. I looked to see he was wearing a white shirt and a nappy, and also looked to see he was very annoyed. I however, was stunned. "You're talking! Talking again!"

"Well, yeah. Thanks for pointing that out, Templeton."

"How is this possible? You've stopped taking the formula!"

"The baby's from HQ came to me... in the crib, and gave me a bottle. I being a baby and an IDIOT, took it... and then they saddled me with the news."

"What news...?"

I asked this frightened. I was scared that Ted was saying this, not curious nor desiring to know why he was telling me this. Just scared... I didn't want to lose my baby brother.

"They need me back."

My mouth opened, in silent horror. I looked into his light aqua coloured eyes, and only whispered.

"They what...?"

"They need me back... something's gone wrong."

"What?" I peeped. I didn't want to know the answer but he told me anyway.

"All the babies are going missing."

I didn't understand what he meant by that.

"What are you talking about-"

"Shhs, Tim!" Ted said, holding his tiny hand up to silence my outspoken thought. He seemed to be very quiet, his little ears perked up to hear something, but I couldn't hear a thing.

"You hear that...?" Ted said quietly, and I looked at him confused. I remained silent, and he looked back at me, his eyes wide and worried. "Silence..."

"So...?"

"Come over here..." Ted told me and jumped off my bed. He walked over to the window and climbed onto the window sill. He waved me over and I quickly obeyed, jumping up from my bed and following his previous steps to the window.

He pointed to the window latch, and I unlatched it, opening the glass by pushing it up.

He put his hand to his right ear and arched his head, as if trying to catch a whiff of something in the air. I did the same, as if on instinct, before Ted looked back at me and said concerned.

"Nothing."

"Well it's the middle of the night?"

"Yes, but Tim." He said, his voice not into playing games or tickling rhetorical questions. "Babies are not crying in the night, newborns aren't keeping their parents awake... there's five babies on this street... they cry every night... but tonight... they're silent."

I blinked my eyes, realizing this. To be honest I had gotten quite used to the sounds of cries and shrieks by infants in the night. I had had my fair share with Boss Baby before he was my brother Theodore.

I looked at him worried, before turning my eyes again to the silent dead street. It was becoming winter now. We were on Christmas holidays, and everyone in the town was acting festive and cheery.

Ted snapped his thumb to bring me back to attention and I gazed at him, my eyes shiny with worry.

"Tim, I have to go back to know what is going on."

"But can it wait... till tomorrow... or next week?" I asked, hopeful that my little brother would not abandon me and leave me, mum and dad in the dust for his former baby life. He looked at me slowly, analysing my face but mostly my eyes, and seeing the fear that haunted me.

"I simply can't, Tim."

"Why not...?" I asked, my eyes getting slightly wetter from the worrying tears that had arose in the corners of them. My brother looked at me. His gaze seemed far away, as if he was thinking something that my child mind couldn't completely understand... but his mature brain inside an infant seemed to understand much more better than I.

The seconds seemed to stretch for so long in that minute. Time seems almost non existent as a child. It is always now in the moment that we focus on and never ruminate on things past. I guess because we didn't have much of a past to really think of, us being on this earth for so very little time... and Ted.

He had only really stepped foot into childhood, before it all came falling down when he had tasted again the sweet nector of that formula.

I waited for his answer, and finally it came. But it scared me half to death when the words left his mouth. How so very few words could haunt a child so.

"In case..." he began, and looked only at me, not breaking his sad gaze.

"In case I disappear too."


	2. Chapter 2

I looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Ted turned his eyes down to the window sill, and just bit his lip nervously.

"I don't know, Tim. But babies are disappearing, and I'm just scared of what will happen if I don't get on this case." He looked back up at me and took a sigh out. He shrugged his shoulders just the slightest, feeling uncomfortable in showing vulnerability of his fear. But he spoke. "I'm going back up tonight."

"I'm coming with you."

I said that instantly, not letting a second pass where he could stop me from offering. From demanding. Ted looked into my eyes, nervous.

I knew from that look that he was worried what would happen to me if I got involved, but I was not going to let my little brother go into this mystery and battle alone.

"Templeton, I don't think you-"

"Listen, Ted." I said. I stood back up from the window sill and clasped my hands around his chubby small waist, lifting him down back to the ground. "I'm your OLDER brother. You may have a mind like an adult, but you do not have the ability to open doors."

Ted just smirked when I said that, looking up at me from the ground. He looked so tiny from so faraway. But still, even with the confidence that exuded off him I could tell he was unsure about himself.

He sighed, yet again. He lifted his chubby little hand up, to give a handshake on it and said.

"Alright... deal."

I smiled, delighted that I'd get to visit Babycorp again, but this time for real and not just as a projection of my consciousness when I had used the pacifier.

I bent my knees a little and reached my hand forward, shaking his tiny hand by holding my thumb and index finger in a little clench around his tiny balled fist.

When we both let go, I said excitedly.

"So how exactly do we get there in person?"

"Come with me, Templeton." Ted said, confidently smiling, and his concerns seem to melt away- or at least masked so not to worry me.

We walked down the stairs and arrived outside to the front lawn. I looked to see a taxi was parked against the curb, awaiting to pick up Ted and now me.

"Come on." my little baby brother told me as he strolled across the footpath, and it was at that moment that I noticed he had something in his right hand now.

A suitcase...

When did he have time to pick that up?

But the bigger worry that was filtering through my thoughts was-

Why would he take it... as it had all his personal belongings? We were just going to solve this mystery and come home. So... why take it?

I looked at it cautiously, but didn't let any words escape my mouth as I followed my baby brother up the path.

When he reached the door, just a few seconds before me, he smiled as he pointed up to the handle and I smirked, pulling it down and we both got inside the back seats.

I looked at the interior of the taxi for a brief second.

It looked like any other taxi I had ever been in. Maybe a bit more polished and smooth inside. The seats felt comfy and it had an air of newness about it.

I looked ahead of me to see that there was no driver however and I paused my peering around, confused.

"Er, Ted... who's driving this?"

Ted just looked up at me. His suitcase was being held on his lap, like it was very precious to him and he just gave a coy grin.

"It's an automatic driven car."

"You mean... computers work it?"

"Only the finest computers in the world. Sent down from Babycorp."

"What do you mean by... ' _sent'_ down?"

I looked at him, concerned as I said this and he just gave a wink. The taxi suddenly started to drive by itself and I startled back against my chair by the sudden pulling away from it's parked spot.

"This is scary." I said, a feeling of slight terror running through me.

"It's about to get a whole lot scarier." Ted said with a small huff of a laugh and suddenly the taxi sped up. It shot forward down the long straight road like a roller-coaster, and I felt my body suddenly press hard against the cushioned seat as the pressure from the speed pulled both of us back.

I suddenly gasped when I felt our seat belts tighten and the taxi start to transform from the inside out. I felt my seat bolt back and forth, Ted's doing the same as we both were moved to the center of the vehicle while the metal doors change into control pads and suddenly instead of going forward like we had done previous. We went up.

I let out a scream at the sudden change in direction and after a second I realized that I was no longer in a taxi- but a real live rocket ship!

I looked through the windows of my suburban home below and could see it disappearing in seconds as we shot through the clouds.

I looked at my brother for some comfort or reassurance from this scary thrill ride but all I saw was him laughing at the fun of it all.

My eyes stared only at him in disbelief. How was this funny?!

Suddenly, in the distance, above the clouds... I saw it.

Babycorp. And how it looked glorious.

The rocket ship seemed to slow it's speed as I could feel the fire from below was dying down, before it completely extinguished. I was about ready for us to plummet to the earth below. My eyes clenched closed in terror. Though all I heard, was the rocket's doors slide open like an elevator lift.

Ted unbuckled himself and pat me on the leg, to get my attention. I squinted at the touch, but opened one eye up first, to see if I was dead or still alive.

When I saw that we were in the arrivals section, and that the main quarters were empty in the distance, I stiffened a little.

"Welcome," Ted said, not affected by this sight. "To Babycorp."

I looked around, and swallowed afraid. This did not look good and I uttered out.

"More like Emptycorp..."


	3. Chapter 3

Ted looked around, seeming to notice this more consciously after my comment.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that there, Tim."

"Where is everyone...?" I dared to ask, as I hopped out of the rocket as well and steadied my feet onto the marble ground of Babycorp.

Ted's back to me was turned as he just looked on at the deserted Babycorp, and he only uttered out barely.

"I don't understand, they were meant to be here..."

"The babies...?"

"Yeah, I didn't realize there were problems up here as well."

I hmphed, thinking this over and I began to walk forward into the dim dark hallway. Ted seemed to stay still for a few seconds more, going over things in his head. But he followed as well a few moments later.

We went to the office section to find desks and cubicles were empty and I hazarded a guess.

"Maybe everyone is in bed?"

"No," Ted said concerned, his briefcase being held tightly in his right hand and he continued on, "There's usually a few floor staff on just in case something goes askew."

"Oh," I said, realising this bit of info. I didn't really know what we could do, but I saw Ted take a few hesitant soft steps ahead of me as he passed his old work station and just stopped, looking at it. He stared at it for the longest time. I bit my lip worried.

What was he thinking of? I didn't want to even imagine that it could be that he missed his old life. But was it really even a life...?

No parents... no b-brother...

"There you are!"

We both seemed to blink our eyes at the same time, looking ahead to the aisle and seeing Ted's old boss, Big Boss Baby storming through the empty room towards us.

"Where have you been!? Do you not know that we are in a crises?!"

"Yes, Big Boss Baby." Ted said quickly, apologizing for a mistake he never made. She glared her eyes into his, before swinging them up to catch my gaze and I gulped, a bit startled- and honestly slightly frightened, of her domineering personality.

"And who is this?!" She snapped at my little baby brother. Ted straightened up, his arms to his sides as if he was in the military and said.

"That's Tim Templeton... my brother..."

"Brother, ay?" Big Boss Baby said with intrigue, and within a second, slammed her two chubby hands onto her hips. She said to Ted with a slightly disappointed look.

"So, you still want to be a family man, even with this new opportunity to come back to Babycorp?"

I blinked, baffled by her statement, but I could see Ted slightly tense his body, as his eyes gazed nervously to the ground. He seemed to truly be taken in her words.

I didn't understand why he was not even considering to respond with direct rebuttal of her claim that he _even_ wanted to come back to Babycorp, and finally he said, sternly. Though it seemed only half hearted in its true nature.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Big Boss Baby stayed still for a second, analysing him and his answer to her and just skewed her lips into a frown, her eyebrows creasing together as she only hummed out, "Hmm..."

After a moment more had passed, she snapped back up into her former position and clicked her thumbs in a hard snap. She was indicating for us to follow her, as she turned, swishing her big beehive of brown hair, and walked in a hard stride towards the door that led to the giant hallway where all the higher ups worked.

Ted fixed his tie nervously, and quickly followed, his head hung down a bit in obedience. I didn't get why he was acting so passive with her, but I quickly followed him and Big Boss Baby onwards to the hall where giant paintings of all the infamous boss babies hung, in all their glory.

When I did enter the giant long tall and narrow hallway, I couldn't help but get a sense of epicness of this whole corporation and that I had come from this baby world original when I had been an infant myself.

As we passed the many tall doors, I suddenly bumped off of Ted when he halted suddenly. I looked ahead confused to see that Big Boss Baby had held out her hand in a quick movement to stop us from proceeding any further, and noticed we were in front of a golden door that looked quite different to all the rest.

"Come on." She just said. I could tell by her slightly quieter tone that she was not angry, but her voice seemed to have always such an aggressive pitch to it, I just presumed she was forever furious over everything.

She pushed the door open, and Ted swallowed. He took a deep breath in and I pat him softly on his small shoulder, saying quietly.

"Hey, you'll be fine."

Ted glanced his eyes up at me, seeing my calm expression, and just nodded his head slightly, before turning his eyes back at the opening door and began to walk in.

I followed and as we entered the room, my eyes widened in pure awe.

We were in a room where all the corporate CEO babies were up on huge stands and they seemed to look down on us from near the top of the ceiling like they were the gods of this world and we were puny insects.

They all looked chubby, and their suits looks very old fashioned compared to the Ted's and Big Boss Baby's. I began to think that these babies had been babies for a very long time. Maybe even longer than recorded history.

I saw Ted walk towards the middle of the room, the walls painted deep red and he stood there, nearly shaking in fear of what he was to say.

Big Boss Baby just stood away, watching this, also seeming like she was afraid now of what was to happen.

And then, finally, one of the ancient babies spoke.


	4. Chapter 4

The voice that came out of the CEO baby seemed to reverberate around the circular walls of the room. It bounced in echoes and hit my ears quite harshly, like it had been magnified in volume by the surrounding walls.

"Boss Baby..."

"Theodore."

My brother responded with this weakly, as if a little scared to say his name. The chubby baby on the high chair looked down at him annoyed.

"What?"

His voice was even deeper than my brothers, like a lion roaring, and Ted nervously tugged his sleeve, not sure how he could respond to that.

"My name is now... Theodore..."

The baby that looked down at him was wearing a blue suit with his hair in red swirls. And he didn't seem amused.

"Ah yes... the one that left too soon."

"I think I was always made for family life..." Ted just responded, a little cold at what the baby had said, and the red headed baby boy just scuffed a laugh, before looking from side to side at a dark baby girl, and a baby boy who seemed to have a not very amused face on at this all.

"Okay..." the baby just said back, his face very still, but a grin seemed to be cracking up it with no control. "But you've heard of the problem?"

"Yes... babies going missing." Ted said quickly and I nodded my own head as I watched him in the distance. "But why are the employees around Babycorp gone?"

"Disappeared as well..."

"How is that possible?"

"Silence!" The baby shouted and Ted shut his mouth startled. He stood there nervously, and I wanted to take a step forward to say something and stick up for my brother, but Big Boss Baby snapped a look at me, and I stilted, not taking the step.

"They would leave work for bedtime..." the dark girl baby piped up finally, seeming to have more of a weaker, nervous voice. Ted turned his eyes quickly to her. "But then... they wouldn't come back."

"Are babies at least still being born?"

"We can't turn off the machine." The red headed astute baby said once more, cutting across his colleague. He pressed his two chubby hands to the stand and peered down at Ted, as if very infuriated by him. "So we've been directing all the babies to Babycorp to replace the workers we lost."

"What?" Ted whispered out.

"Wait a second." I blurted, not able to keep my words in and I walked to the middle of the room, demanding an answer now to what I was about to say. Big Boss Baby didn't have time to stop my intrusion into the conversation.

"How can you be directing Family Babies to business?! They're meant to be down in the world... not up here doing numbers?!"

The red headed baby just glared down at me, but I didn't care.

He spoke.

"We have to-"

"Also, how'd do you know that the business babies are really meant to be babies?! Everyone has a tickle spot!"

"SILENCE, YOU BRAT!"

I shut my mouth, shocked at that reply.

The red headed baby's eyes were full of red veins from stress, as he began to breathe in and out in hurried breaths.

His face began to turn pink, his cheeks puffing in and out air and I blinked, utterly confused by this.

"Huge Boss Baby!" The girl baby said to him, trying to calm him down and tears began to well in his eyes. "Just ignore that child, he doesn't understand Babycorps purpose."

"No... I don't..." I said, lost. Huge Boss Baby began to calm a little, but tears still slipped like streams down his chubby cheeks.

He finally said, looking down at me, as if hurt. "You will never understand..."

I stood there, completely lost at what I had done, but Huge Boss Baby just said in a loud, but trembling voice.

"Theodore Templeton. Come back here when you actually are ready to make a difference."

Ted opened his mouth, shocked and a little hurt by that statement.

"I'm ready now, Huge Boss Baby. I know the importance of Babycorp, I know how serious this issue is."

"Do you really...?" Huge Boss Baby just said, and shook his chubby head, saddened by this answer.

"Yes, I do, really!"

"Then you will realize by now what the main over lapping factor of all this is..."

Ted held still for a second, confused. He looked at Huge Boss Baby, trying to read what the cause of the babies going missing was. He looked to the left at the babies so high up, each one with a solemn face... he looked to the right... the babies on the other side seemed distant and forlorn.

He finally turned his eyes back up to the center stand and looked at Huge Boss Baby, swallowing a little and at last asking.

"...what...?"

Huge Boss Baby only sighed, and closed his eyes. He shuffled a little in his tall seat, and quietly muttered out his words.

I could barely catch a whiff of them. It was like the baby was ashamed to get them out... or was more ashamed at Ted to even say them to my brother.

But my brother gasped... as if he had heard the words plainly... I didn't understand how he could hear them and I was still so confused.

"What...?" I said, completely puzzled and the baby repeated the words again, although this time much louder and yet still quiet all the same.

"The first baby went missing the day you chose a family, Theodore."

Ted seemed to nearly faint when this was said, as he took a weak step forward to steady himself. He looked back up at Huge Boss Baby, and the baby boy just said, hate resounding in his voice.

"You are the factor that links this all together... Now choose."

Ted looked at Huge Boss Baby, worry in his aqua eyes... and I myself was full of terror at how much anger seemed to radiate from the red headed baby boy.

"Find the babies... or _GET OUT_ and never... come back..."

I felt my chest tighten. My heart racing. I looked at my brother, as he stared up at Huge Boss Baby... and finally his answer came.

"I'm going..."


	5. Chapter 5

The door slammed shut moments later. Me and Ted were standing on the other side of it, just having left the room. My little brother had stormed out, me following quickly, but once we had arrived beyond the room, Ted just took a deep sigh out.

Though anger still seemed deeply seated in him.

"So..." I peeped, not knowing exactly what to say. I gulped as I looked down to my tiny brother, and just saw his chest beating up and down in heavy breaths. I looked quickly to the ground, before asking afraid. "So... we're just going to leave?"

"No-"

Before he could get all his words out, Big Boss Baby could be heard sliding the door opened slightly as she hurried out.

"My goodness! What are we to do! Theodore!" she shouted at my brother, and he seemed to take in a deep breath before he turned around silently to look at her. "You were meant to help solve the problem! Not exasperate it!"

"I will..."

"What are we to do- wait!" Big Boss Baby said instantly, and looked across at him surprised by what he said. "You said... you _will_...?"

The hallway was silent for a whole thirty seconds after she had spoken her last word. She looked at my brother, as if amazed, and uttered out, lost. "But you just told them that you were going...?"

"Huge Boss Baby just got on my nerves..." Ted said in spite of the red headed baby. He looked at Big Boss Baby and then me, standing nervously straighter before he uttered out in a unsure but determined voice. "But babies are going missing, family babies are being forced to work in business. Huge Boss Baby thinks this is all my fault, and I need to prove that it isn't. There must be something here we're not seeing..."

He placed his small chubby hand to his chin, thinking this over as he walked back and forth in strides. His suitcase had been placed on the ground and Big Boss Baby bit her lip, thinking over all the connecting factors too, in case she had missed an important detail.

Suddenly... the reason behind all of this and the possible culprit dawned on me.

"What if it's..." I began, and the two small babies looked up at me confused. I cleared my throat and stepped in the center of them , continuing nervously.

"What if it's Francis Francis..? Huge Boss Baby said it happened the day you chose family... what if it _is_ him...?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Big Boss Baby just shouted, furious at that thought but Ted just looked at me amazed. Almost proud.

"Of course, Tim! How could I not see that! Francis Francis must be doing this!"

"Theodore, Francis Francis is a weak baby now!" His former boss told him, as if shocked that Ted was even considering this option. "He couldn't co-ordinate all of this while in his infant state."

"I wouldn't doubt that baby in anything!" Ted just said immediately, and I nodded my head in agreement. Ted beamed an eager grin, and waved me over to the exit of the hall. I followed him quickly as we both ran out to the main reception quarters for Babycorp, Ted looking for a departing rocket ship, and I asked him, a bit confused at what we were planning.

"Are we heading home...?" I asked and Ted just turned around to me, shaking his head quickly.

"No... we are going to Francis Francis's farm." Ted seemed very serious when he said the next sentence. So very sincere and true to his word, "We are going to solve this."

I could hear running of little footsteps approaching us from behind while my brother looked for a ship, and finally I saw Big Boss Baby reach us, looking at the two of us as she panted tired breaths.

"Wait, Theodore... Tim T-Templeton."

The two of us turned around to look at her and she straightened up her blouse as she looked at us both. She seemed quite worried.

"You two must be careful... Its dangerous what you are doing... down there... with grown people..."

"Don't worry, Big Boss Baby." Ted said to her with a calm smile, and she breathed a tired breath out a little relieved, but still seeming nervous. "I have to prove to Huge Boss Baby that I can fix this... that... that it wasn't my fault..."

"I know it was not." Big Boss Baby said, giving a sincere nod of her head as her eyes looked into my brothers and he smiled back.

"Thanks Boss..."

She held her two hands together and just nodded her head a little bit again, seeming shy now. I looked at her and Ted, feeling I could sense something more than what was being shown. But my brother quickly snapped me out of this as he looked up at me an instant later and said in a determined voice.

"Okay... let's get going."

"You'll want to take the manual ship." Big Boss Baby told us, and Ted blinked puzzled by this. She waved us over and we walked in quick steps behind her as she took us down the departure hall till we came across a shiny yellow ship.

But this one seemed different to the others... like it was an older model. Something one would see in the industrial age almost.

"I can't drive manual."

"If I know the CEOs," Big Boss Baby told him, but she glanced up at me as well as she spoke. "I know that they would have deactivated any ships that lead to foreign places. The steering in this is very minimal, and once you are in a mile range of the Francis's farm, all you'll have to do is press the eject button. Just remember." She told us sternly, looking at both me and Ted with harsh eyes. "Put on your parachutes."

"Got it..." Ted said to her with a brave smile. She smiled back, and waved her hand to the ship's yellow large door. After pressing a button, it opened up and we both entered into it's interior, nervously.

I could hear the door jamming shut after we had settled in, and through the small window I could see Big Boss Baby looking at us with sharp eyes.

"Remember." She said as the floor below us started to open up. "If you want to come back, keep the red button control pad on you."

"The red what?" I said. I could barely hear her, as the noise of the gusting wind from below us started to tear across the opening of the floor.

"The red control pad!" She shouted again, but before we could respond-

The ship plummeted through the sky.


	6. Chapter 6

I felt myself screaming as we spiraled towards the ground. All this time I never took notice of Ted who was quickly pressing buttons and calibrating the ship's controls so it would not just smash down below but fly, fly and save us both.

And he did.

My mouth was still drumming out my terrified scream, my lungs losing all their air, till there was a sudden hard jump up a little in the sky. I bumped my head on the low ceiling and just peeped out in pain.

"Ah!"

"You okay there, Tim?" Ted said, his voice steady but with a little haste. I took in a few deep breaths and my brother only huffed a smirk, adding, "You don't need your nappy changed?"

"No!" I said, annoyed at that remark and Ted just gave a small chuckle. I turned my eyes slowly away from him, to the rocket glass screen, and saw the sun in the distance was starting to split through the horizon. It was a golden crisp light, and when it hit my eyes, they burnt.

"Ah!" I said again, covering my peepers with my forearm, to block out the sun's laser like rays. I soon became aware of how jittery the rocket ship was. It was shaking terribly with chaotic turbulence, and I uttered to my little brother. Fear tightening my chest.

"Ted... will, will we get there soon?"

"Sure we will, Tim..." Ted said to me with a calm wink and I gave a nervous smile back. But all I could imagine was the fact that I was still two thousand feet above the ground.

I felt something warm and small touch my shivering hand, and I looked to the side to see that Ted was being the paternal figure to me once more and was trying to calm me by placing his hand on mine like mum and dad would.

I swallowed, but worried tears were still rising in my eyes, and he looked at me concerned. My brother said slowly.

"Hey, hey... it'll be okay, Tim..."

I nodded my head, but the words that escaped my mouth were the ones to a question I needed to know the answer to, in case I died on this trip.

"Were you really-" Ted's ears perked up as he listened confused to what I was about to say. "Were you really thinking of returning back to Babycorp?"

He looked at me, lost, and seeming puzzled as to why I was asking this.

"No, Tim- why?"

"B-because," I muttered, ashamed at myself about the worrying thought of the suitcase in his hand and the way Ted acted up there. "You took your suitcase up with you to Babycorp... and the way you stared at your old cubicle."

"Oh Tim..." Ted said, bemused to hear this. He shook his head gently and pressed another button on the ship to try and keep it suspended in calm flight. He looked at me and gave a mature but soft smile. "I don't want to stay up there... it's just... when I'm in this state... when the formula is in me... I remember what all of it was like. I was just reminiscing... but I wasn't missing."

He pat me on the hand and returned back to steering the ship, but to me... I still was not too okay with that answer. I was glad he had finally reassured me that the Templeton household was where his heart and home placed most. But when we did solve the baby mystery, which I was so sure that the two of us could... he was going to go off the formula once more... and return to just being a baby again... forgetting...

Only being half the brother I knew and loved.

I said to Ted, as I looked at him, and kept my eyes off the death plummet below.

"When you are off the formula... do you remember who you still are... or do you feel like you are someone e-else...?"

Ted's eyes seemed to become still in their stare. He became even more deep in thought and if he wasn't already quiet at that moment, it was like he would never make another sound again.

"I-" he began, and his hands were on the steering wheel, keeping so very silent. "I don't remember... anything"

My eyes widened slowly-

Suddenly the ship started to blink red lights as it beeped its alerts, saying.

" _IN NEAR PROXIMITY OF TARGET!"_

We both quickly aimed our eyes to the glass shield, seeing we were in the Texas countryside and a giant farm with a huge red barn was in the distance below us.

Ted quickly got ready to press the eject button but I said to him in a hurried frightened voice at his sudden near action.

"Wait!"

He looked at me confused and I pulled out the two parachute backpacks.

"Of course!" Ted said as he grabbed the smaller backpack off me and strapped it on. "How could I forget the most important thing!"

I nodded my head, a goofy smile on at how silly the two of us had nearly been, and Ted slammed down on the eject button-

But in the second that I saw his small hand collide with the button, what Big Boss Baby said suddenly made its way back into my memory.

" _Don't forget the red control pad!"_

"The only way back..." I whispered, remembering this and as the seats started to power up to bounce us out the opening roof of the ship, I looked around in minus split seconds.

Seeing it.

I grabbed it, holding it tight. Before we were both sprang upwards into the sky. I could feel the wind gusting against my body terribly harshly, but I tried to not let this preoccupy my urgency to find my brother.

Suddenly I saw him diving through the sky and I screamed. A second later the propelling force the spring chair had given me to go up had run out, and I suddenly began to dive instead of rise. I screamed as I fell. I watched Ted, hoping he would release his parachute- but- BUT he kept FALLING!

"TED!" I screamed.

I quickly used my free right arm to find the chord of my chute and in a second it exploded up like a mushroom. I felt a huge tug as it pulled me into a safe descend.

I kept looking for my brother... but saw... in pure dire relief...

A red parachute in the far distance blow up in the wind, floating the infant Ted to the ground.

"YES!" I screamed, cheering and swung my arms forward as if I was cheering for a goal. But the moment I did that, what happened of course?

The control pad tumbled out of my hand. I quickly tried to catch it to stop its fall into the unknown corn fields below. But as I stumbled forward in the air... it slipped from my grasp and dropped onto the roof of a red barn, sliding down and falling through a gap in the wooden planks. Disappearing inside the farm building.

I gulped and uttered out, feeling mighty stupid.

"Uh oh..."

Before I saw the ground approach so quickly, I screamed and dropped into a field of corn.

Knowing one thing the most out of everything else-

I needed to get that control pad back a.s.a.p


	7. Chapter 7

When I landed on the ground, my world quickly began to change around me as my imagination started to kick in.

I got up, dressed as an outlaw from the wild west, and quickly touched the old guns on my belt sling.

"Yee ha," I said, spitting some tobacco onto the ground. I took a couple of careful steps towards the red tall bank in the distance, and knew that was where the treasure lied.

The red control pad.

"Time to rob a bank..." I said with a dark grin, and hid among the cornfields. I took quiet steps closer to the giant wooden old building, the sun blazing it's rays onto my skin and tanning it just slightly. I fixed up my Stetson, covering my eyes just the littlest.

I was going to have to plan my theft carefully and wisely.

I looked around the old bank, seeing there were no townsfolk around, and quickly found a hole in the back of it, slipping in.

When I got inside... all I saw around me were piles of gold. The golden coins reached as high as the roof nearly and I found it suspicious that there was no bankers guarding any of this.

"Looks like they weren't expecting me..." I whispered, smiling slyly. I pressed against the wooden wall, pushing against it as I made my way to the ladder which would lead up to the top room of the bank and my most prized possession.

I'd have to meet with my partner in crime soon, my blood brother Ted, the great slinger of the west, but I couldn't come empty handed without the goods.

Just as I was about to approach the tall teetering ladder, I heard a door sliding open, and I peeped, freezing. I could see the shadow of a tall bulky man stretch up the wall behind me, and I quickly dived into a pile of coins, hiding.

I peeked through them, and could see the sheriff. Boy, did he look mean. His eyes were square on the gold but, and in seconds he pulled out a shovel from his pocket, smiling his crooked grin, before shoveling it into his wagon.

"Why that little!" I said in a gasp. The law around here was so corrupt, that even the sheriff of this western town was stealing from the bank he was meant to be protecting!

He was giggling away, and I quickly forgot my own mission for a moment. I jumped out of the pile of gold and pulled out my guns, yelling at the giant man.

"Freeze, bucko!"

"Huh?!" the man said in a gasp, looking down at me in astonishment, but I didn't care. If a sheriff like him could be a crook, then a crook like me could surely be a hero.

"I said freeze... unless you want a stand off?"

I squared my eyes at him... glaring at him from my shorter stand point, before seeing him just yell in fury as he lunged at me. I gasped, jumping so high I missed his grasp. The sheriff crashed to the ground and I slammed my booted feet to his head, doing a somersault in the air before landing like a pro and saying in glee.

"Ninja!- er I mean... COWBOY!"

"HuUH?" he shouted, and did a back flip, landing just behind me and placing his hand on my cowboy shoulder with a firm grip.

I gulped, frightened. I took a moment to think through what to do.

The sheriff was about to turn me into the law, even though he had been the one to commit the crime... and I glared up at him. I held my guns tightly that were attached to my belt, before pulling them both upwards and pointing them to his throat.

"Freeze fraud! You're going to jail!"

"HUUUH?" He grunted, in total disbelief, sticking his two hands up in the air as if he were about to turn himself in.

"See." I said, grinning widely as I stepped back proudly, placing one of the guns back on my belt. I kept the one in my right hand still aimed at him. "You can't beat the law... even though you... technically are the law... BUT." I repeated, "You can't beat me, who is the new law of this here town."

I pulled out my rope that was dangling from my belt, and swung it to the bank's wooden boarders, swinging away as I shouted.

"Yee ha!"

When suddenly I felt the neck of my top being tugged on, and I swayed just above the ground, hanging there. I quickly realized why.

The sheriff had caught me by my collar and had finally arrested me.

"Hey!" I shouted.

The room slowly started to return back to reality as I saw I was in the red barn, hay everywhere instead of gold, and the red control pad still on the upper room, just lit up from a glass window in the distance.

I looked before me to see a very disgruntled Eugene... Francis's henchman and older brother and I gulped again, asking nicely.

"Let me go... please...?"

Eugene just grinned an evil beam, as he cleared his throat and answered in his posh accent.

"No."

"Oh boy..." I uttered, before, "Whoa!"

As I was swung around with him, and he headed out of the barn, taking me with him as his prisoner.

"Please Mr Francis's brother!" I begged, kicking my legs about, trying to get free but he held me far enough away that I didn't manage to hit him.

"Please let me go! I swear, I wasn't trying to rob you or anything!"

Eugene walked in his posh steps towards the farmhouse in the distance and I looked at it terrified of what would be inside.

Bandits? Ghosts? Pirates?! Or worse of all... Francis Francis himself...

"Naughty little boys like you deserve to be punished." Eugene said with a posh evil giggle and I closed my eyes terrified, as we came into the darkness of the tall farm house.

Whatever fate that befell me now... I just hoped that Ted was okay.


	8. Chapter 8

When I opened my eyes again, having shut them to protect me from the horrific site of the interior of the farm house, I blinked surprised.

I was in a living room, the smell of cake and cookies in the air, a fire crisping away in a stove, and the whole atmosphere a pleasant and homely one.

I gulped, nervously. This all seemed very suspicious and dangerous in a way. I jumped back a little in my armchair when Eugene entered back in the room with a tray of chocolate cake, brownies and hot coco. I watched cautiously as he placed it on the coffee table before me, fixing the tray to make it align with the table's edges, and he smiled at me, slyly.

I felt my heart speed up in its beats, as I looked at the food... my belly suddenly letting out a grumble.

"I made hot coco!" he said in his posh upper class voice and I glared at him, distrustful at this.

"You probably want to poison me!" I shouted, pointing my finger at him quickly and he stood up straight, grunting surprised by my accusation.

"What? Me?" He said, shocked and toddled off back to the kitchen. I could hear him humming under his breath as he got to cooking something else in the small room.

I looked back over to the food and drink. I slowly leant my face forward to the cake, picking up a slice and sniffing it.

Chocolate... man, that smelt good.

I quickly threw it back onto the plate as he came back out and fixed myself up as if I had done nothing.

"So, I thought you were going to punish me?" I asked quickly, my voice serious and my stance a determined defiant one, "But I know that your brother is-"

"Shh! Shh!" Eugene said quickly, placing his index finger to his lips as he shushed me instantly. I looked at him, puzzled and he pointed upstairs, adding. "Francis is sleeping."

"He's upstairs..?" I asked quickly and Eugene gave a heavy nod of his head. He went off again to the kitchen and I was only confused about what he was going to do with me. He obviously wasn't in his henchman mode at the moment. But I couldn't relax and enjoy some cake, I needed to find Francis Francis and get to the bottom of this case.

I slowly and carefully stood up on my feet, the fire flickering in the stove. I quickly snuck some cake into my pockets.

I took a few very cautious steps across the carpeted floor, before seeing the wooden stairs. I crept up them quickly, holding onto the railing as they spiraled up a little. I reached the upper hallway moments later, and looked at the dank dark lit room, slightly fearful.

I swallowed again, taking nervous tip toeing steps up to the back room, and twisted open the knob. When I entered the room, I saw it was dead silent... except for a musical box playing softly on a bedside draw away. I looked around and quickly saw a wooden crib. It was all so spooky. I shut the door behind me and continued on towards the crib, peeking over it and saw-

Baby Francis Francis sleeping in a gentle snooze as he slumbered in peace.

I raised an eyebrow up confused.

"Huh?" I said, a little lost. Suddenly I heard a yell outside the window and ran to open it. I saw, to my surprise and total relief, Ted hanging from his parachute, which had managed to get itself stuck in a tree right outside Francis's room.

"Ted!" I shouted, overjoyed at seeing him safe and sound.

"Tim, I've been stuck up here for ages!" he said frustrated, swinging back and forth from his chute, most annoyed. "Help me out already!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, a little annoyed that he wasn't more pleased to see me. I saw in his hands he was still holding on tightly to his suit case and I shouted to him fast. "Throw me your case!"

"What?!" Ted said, shocked at that idea. "I can't throw you that!"

"Why not?" I asked, befuddled and he looked nervous and annoyed as he clutched it tighter to his chest.

"It's very important."

"What's in it?" I asked, warily, and Ted bit his lip, nervous, quickly adding on.

"Alright, here!"

He swung himself back and forth from the tangled parachute's strings and I caught his suitcase just barely, Ted holding onto it tightly.

"Let go!" I demanded, "I'll pull you up next!"

Ted pulled a worried look. He just sighed and nodded his head weakly, his chubby tiny hand unclasping from the black briefcase.

He swung back towards the tree, and I placed the case down on the floor. I opened it up quickly to see what was inside and froze when I saw what it was.

A bottle of babycorp formula.

Why would he keep that on him?

I lowered my eyebrows to my eyes, and stood back up to the window. I said to him, angrily. "You've been carrying around magic formula this whole time?!"

"Please, Tim. I can explain." Ted said quickly, swinging back and forth from his hanging position and I glared at him.

I reached my hands forward and he swung into them, before I undid him from his chute and pulled him inside.

I dropped him to the ground, annoyed, and he landed on his bum, his head shaking in dizziness and I said, pointing down at the formula.

"Explain!"

"When the babies came to me last night, they gave me a bottle to keep me going for this mission. I'm not taking it so I can return to my former life!"

"How do I know!?" I said, furiously and he slapped his hand to his face, saying in just as much rage.

"I already explained it to you in the rocket!"

My chest was still panting up and down, fury seeping through me and before the two of us could really go at it, we froze.

A sound of a disturbed baby was heard from the crib and the two of us rushed over to it, looking down to Francis Francis.

We watched as his eyes stirred open and he looked wearily up at us, before cracking into a wail.

"Francis Francis?!" I said, startled, "Why are you acting like a baby?!"

"Because he IS a baby now!" Ted shouted at me, and I turned, looking at my brother. He was on the ground, also staring through the crib's wooden rails at the crying baby boy and I asked confused.

"But shouldn't he be like you?"

"No!" Ted said, and Francis wailed louder. "The formula wears off, remember!"

"That means..." I said slowly, a realization dawning on me and I peeped the words. "He didn't do it."

"I guess not."

I quickly ran over to the brief case, Ted following me urgently, and his eyes nearly popped opened when he saw me pull out the formula bottle.

"TIM! What are you DOING?!"

"Getting some answers!"

Ted's mouth dropped opened as I ran back to the crib, hanging over it and holding the bottle to Francis Francis.

"But he didn't DO IT!" Ted shouted at me, furious, and I saw the baby Francis look up at the bottle. He giggled when he saw it, trying to reach for it and I looked back quickly to Ted, saying.

"Yes, but maybe he can help us figure out who did."

"Are you insane?!" my brother shouted at me and I paused for a second. I looked back down to Francis Francis, the baby still trying to snatch the bottle from my hands... and sighed.

Maybe it was just hopeful thinking...

I began to withdraw my hand, when suddenly Francis grabbed it off me and sucked the bottle eagerly.

"NO!" Ted shouted. I quickly pulled the bottle off of Francis, a quarter of it having been drank. Ted rushed back over to the crib, as the chubby baby inside it looked around with more consciousness, before seeing me and my brother looking down at him.

He smiled sinisterly.

"Hello, boys..."


	9. Chapter 9

The two of us looked down at him in silent horror.

"Francis Francis?" I peeped.

"The one and only." he said, wobbling up onto his feet as he toddled up to the wooden rails of his cot and looked at us with an evil grin. "I see you've foolishly brought me back. Why, perhaps?" he asked, holding his two hands up in a gesture as if he was confused and making a guess, "To laugh in my face as I cannot do a THING in this INFANT body!"

"Hey!" Ted said to him, angrily and glared his aqua eyes into Francis's blue ones. "I find that offensive! There's plenty of things a baby can do!"

"Except open doors," I had to add in quickly and Ted glared his eyes up at me annoyed, I zipped my mouth quickly.

"Well," Francis just continued and without any warning snatched the bottle out of my hand again.

"Hey!" I shouted, Ted's mouth dropping open in shock. I quickly tried to snatch the bottle back off the chubby blonde baby but he jumped just as my hands collided towards him, and suddenly ran up my arms. He bounced off my head to the baby wooden chimes hanging above his crib, and he snickered as he whispered, shaking the formula bottle in his hand.

"I'll keep this."

"Oh no you won't!" Me and Ted both screamed and he suddenly pulled a teasing face. Our yell, we suddenly realized, had been so loud that heavy running footsteps had started to climb the stairs and we could hear it rattle through the walls.

"Oh no..." I peeped, and picked up Ted, heading for the window.

"Tim!" Ted shouted at me, as I began to hastily get away from the door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

My left leg was already dangling out the window as I knew who was coming, and I threw Ted onto the red tangled parachute, my brother screaming at the throw.

Suddenly Eugene smashed through the wooden door, yelling in a furious posh voice.

"WHO WOKE THE BABY!"

My eyes widened, and I quickly looked up at Francis Francis, as he shook the bottle sneakily, before letting go of the chimes and dropping back into his crib. When he hit his cushions, he let out a loud screaming wail.

In a flash of a second, Eugene turned his eyes to Francis in the cot, seeing him screaming, and then turned his furious gaze at me.

"Hee hee..." I said nervously, waving quickly goodbye as I jumped to the nearest branch of the tree.

"GET HIM!" I heard Francis Francis's voice scream in fury. I didn't know if Eugene did what he was told because his baby brother was speaking again, or because he was just too overcome with anger at me. But as I swung across the branches to the parachute, I suddenly saw Eugene jump through the window like a gorilla ready to kill.

"AHH!" Me and Ted screamed together, and I quickly reached the parachute. The tree began to bend a little at the trunk like an elastic band, and I grabbed Ted, holding him close as we squirmed in panic in the red elastic parachute.

"What are we going to do, TIM?!" Ted yelled at me, and I looked seeing Eugene boulder up the tree towards us. He was bending our branch so close to the ground, that an idea popped into my mind that I knew would work.

"Remember how everyone has a tickle spot...?" I said to Ted quickly, and Eugene was literally just over us, about to attack.

"Uh huh?!" Ted said quickly.

"Well TICKLE!" I demanded, and we both started tickling Eugene. The bulky man burst out into an uncontrollable fit of giggles, toppling off the branch.

"That worked-!"

Before Ted could finish his sentence, the tree flipped back up straight, and we were flung high through the air.

We both screamed as we soared through the sky and I saw the roof of the barn approaching us quickly. I grabbed Ted, holding him close as we collided into the window. It didn't smash though, but just spun around in a few flips, spinning us with it as we landed in a crash onto the upper room of the barn.

I shook my head dizzy, but all I saw was Ted quickly get up on his chubby legs, running to the control pad that shone from the sun hitting it through the glass.

"Okay, Tim, time to go!" Ted yelled at me, and I quickly stumbled to my feet as well. I picked him up as he slammed his hand down on the red button.

In a split second there was a giant crash, and before we knew it, the two of us were looking at the old yellow rocket ship that had smashed through the metal roof.

"Get in! Get in!" Ted screamed at me, and I obeyed. I pulled open the door and we both hopped in to the control room.

I went to pull the door shut, but suddenly I stiffened as I heard a growl, and looked before me, seeing Eugene clutching the upper room's timber floor with his nails, as he entered by the ladder.

"GO GO!" I yelled at Ted, and he nodded. He wound the gears and dials, pressing buttons and the ship suddenly let out an explosion of fire from its exhaust as it boomed into the sky.

"Yee ha!" I yelled, closing the door, but not before waving goodbye to Eugene who just grunted out.

"HUUUUH?!"

When I had slammed the door closed, I turned with an eager smile towards Ted, but only saw him touching his head in dizziness.

"Ted, what's wrong?!" I begged to know and he looked at me scared, as he admitted.

"Tim, without that formula, I'm going to turn babbling baby soon, and I can feel the first round coming very shortly."

"Wait?!" I said, panicked as he held the steering wheel and flew us through the sky. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Ted said, getting dizzy, and he looked to his watch to see how much time had passed since he had taken his formula. "We have to go back up to Babycorp for more." He looked at me solemnly as he added the next part, nearly as scared as me. "And you're going to have to fly us."

I gasped, and begged. "Ted, no! Please! I can't!"

But before he could respond, his pupils started to enlarge and he started to drool. He laughed at me, clapping his hands, and I knew he had turned.

I looked ahead of us through the window, seeing that we were now heading towards the ground.

I swallowed, terrified... and grabbed the wheel.


	10. Chapter 10

I could feel the strong metal in my child hands, and the trembling of my fingers as they gripped the steering wheel.

We were going down fast and I had NO idea what to do. I had to fly us! It was my turn to be the hero, it was my turn to think fast, be the brave one and-

"Nooooo!" I screamed, as I yanked the wheel back just before we collided to the ground and the ship suddenly swung up in the air. I could feel the boom of the fires from it's turbulent engines behind us as we blasted back high into the sky, and my teeth were chattering at the speed.

Ted was just laughing an amused infant high pitched giggle and I looked at him shocked.

"WE NEARLY DIED!" I yelled and he only had drool dripping down his chin, not understanding a word I said.

He suddenly began screaming, tears rolling down his cheeks and I covered my ear on reflex but just like that the ship plummeted downwards again.

I grabbed the wheel and twisted it back and forth, dodging the farmhouses' roofs of the many wheat farmers of the area. I could feel the ship's bottom knock off the top of some poor man's roof, and looked out the window, seeing I had knocked down a chimney. I pulled the wheel all the way back up again. Knowing I had to get us above the clouds.

We soared high through the air, higher and higher, and Ted began to yawn... blinking his eyes a few times till he suddenly seemed to blink back to reality and yelled out.

"ARE WE DEAD?!"

"N-no." I said in a gasping voice of my own, still in terror at my ability to fly this junkyard yellow ship. "We're alive! WE'RE ALIVE!"

"YES! YOU DID IT, TIM!" Ted said, swooping his hand up in a 'you go getter!' sort of way. He pushed me aside weakly and took the steering wheel off me, much to my relief.

As he began flying the ship again, I looked down to all the countryside of the west. The brown mountains, the wavy grass... the wheat that was ready for harvest for Christmas soon.

Ted flew us just above the clouds and we both took big sighs out at the same time.

"That was so close!" I said with a chuckle. "You were a total baby again!"

"Yes... I was..."

Ted didn't seem to like that fact. He stared sternly out ahead of him through the window, like he resented being in that state of being, and I only stared at him. Suddenly annoyed myself.

"Wait! You said you didn't mind being in baby mode?"

"How am I meant to know what I mind when I have no memory or control of it!" he snapped.

I opened my mouth, shocked.

"So..." I said, astonished and wanting to get this out as we flew so high I could feel the chill of the atmosphere melt in through the metal walls. "That was all lies, what you said about wanting to return to being a stinking pooping baby?!"

Ted remained silent for a second, and just shook his head stubbornly, but I knew he was lying. I gasped.

"You want to return back to Babycorp!"

"No I don't, Tim!"

"Yes you do!"

"No!" He shouted, and glanced his eyes at me, turning his head to look at me seriously... seriously annoyed if you ask me. "I just... I wish there was an in-between... that I could be a baby and keep my memories as I grew up... that's what I want! That's all I want!"

I looked at him, and could see the sincerity and worry in his eyes.

I wasn't angry at him anymore, for I understood then exactly what he meant. I could've been a very different person before I lost my memory and if I had remained a baby. I took on this new part of me, this new persona. But if I never had, I could've been smarter, more witty... and definitely wiser.

But that wasn't me now. No. I was a kid, and Ted... he didn't want to be a kid completely...

He had worked at Babycorp, he had been a baby for a long time... he had grown up in this body. He just wanted to grow up for real... but not forget the real him.

We flew there in silence for a few minutes. I nervously bit my lip, and looked out through the window, as slowly in the distance, Babycorp appeared.

I looked at Ted, he was looking straight ahead and took a sad heavy breath out.

I finally said, looking at my brother and patting him on the back. He froze a little at the touch, a bit confused, but looked at me quietly, wanting to hear what I had to say.

"We'll find a way..."

"That's all I want..." Ted said... and when he said that he told the absolute truth. "But for now... I need that formula again. If I go twelve hours without it, that's when the affects wear off."

"Okay." I said, and now I understood completely why he had packed the bottle with him in his briefcase.

"So, we're cool?" I said, hoping all was well between us.

"Yeah... we're okay." Ted said, not using my lingo and we both just chuckled, before we saw the petrol light blinking, saying we were nearly out of fuel and I just groaned.

"Oh! Not again!"

The ship started to jerk up and down, and Ted tried steering it properly towards the station, but we were descending too quickly.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" he cried. He pulled the wheel up suddenly in panic and we swung upwards on to smash into the glass building hidden in the sky.

The rocket slid across the main hall of the corporation, both our eyes closed at the impact. We finally both blinked them back opened and I said hesitantly, as the door popped opened and we could see dust and broken glass everywhere.

"Well..." I smiled at my brother awkwardly, and he looked very, very concerned. "Welcome back to Babycorp..."


	11. Chapter 11

After jumping out of the ship, we walked in a hurried run to the formula room. I looked at it amazed.

There were stacks upon stacks of bottles reaching all the way up to the high ceiling. They towered over us on both sides and Ted just quickly took one and sucked the liquid out of it and into his mouth, swallowing.

After a second, he seemed to relax as he waved at me to hand him his brief case, which I did, and he quickly placed his new formula bottle into it, like it was a baby itself.

I however wasn't paying too much attention to this, as I walked through the aisles of the giant stacks of bottles. It was a dim room, with only a little light casting away the shadows, and I suddenly without warning seemed to reach the end of it. I knew this because I bumped off a stand, it tumbling nearly over and Ted screamed.

"TIM! CATCH IT!"

I caught whatever he was talking about, and looked quickly before me to see I had clutched a glass case, the small marble stand nearly toppling over but Ted quickly ran to it and pressed his back to the other side, pushing it back into a stable position.

He breathed a sigh of relief, before turning his eyes up at me in rage and snapped out, "YOU NEARLY BROKE THE RELIC OF THE FIRST BABY OF BABYCORP!"

I looked at him, confused, before turning my eyes to look into the case and saw that before me was a strand of golden blonde hair, that had been held in place by a tweezer like instrument. I placed it carefully back on the stand, and looked at Ted, saying.

"So, the first baby of Babycorp was a blonde?" I asked with a smirk looking at Ted amused by this fact, "Like you," I added and teased, "Maybe a long lost ancestor?"

"Don't be silly, Tim." Ted said, picking back up his briefcase and pointing for us to leave the formula room, "Each baby is unique and unrelated to one another."

"Right..." I said and suddenly the strangest question popped into my head as I looked at Ted, while we left the giant room and entered back to the main hall that was still dusty with shards of glass on the ground, "Hey, so tell me this, Ted." I had to know "Which came first? The baby or the corporation?"

"Only the first baby knows that."

"So where is he?"

"Oh, he was never seen... not even by _Huge Boss Baby_ that is the chief CEO and the longest living baby up here..."

When he said the CEO baby's name, he said it in spite, the two of us stepping carefully across the glass to the office room in upper management.

When we arrived up there, I could see Big Boss Baby was looking at the pie chart, and how the babies' pie size was all but nearly gone. She looked worried, as chocolate was over taking all the love but she turned around in a hurry when she heard Ted's voice call.

"Big Boss Baby!"

She looked so relieved when she saw him and ran over to Ted giving him a sudden hug as she said in delight.

"You are still alive!"

Her voice sounded happy for once, and she let go of him nervously, the two looking off to the ground, not knowing what to say to one another.

"So!" She demanded then, becoming shy, but her voice had turned back to it's general bossy harsh tone (Though I bet that she was just excited) "Did Francis do it?"

"No..." Ted admitted to her, and she only turned her eyes up to my nervous smile, then back to Ted's.

"And...?" she asked, suspicious now.

"He accidentally got a formula bottle..." Ted said weakly.

Big Boss Baby froze stiff when she heard this, like this was the worse possible thing that could happen, and before she could voice her concerns, Huge Boss Baby wobbled into the room, looking at us with a furious gaze.

"...you," he hissed at Ted, and Ted swallowed. "It's YOUR FAULT!" the red headed baby screamed. He began to run forward on his very chubby legs at Ted, swinging a tiny fist at him but Ted dodged it and looked at the CEO baby shocked.

"What did _I_ do?"

"She's gone!" Huge Boss Baby just cried in bitter tears, and Ted looked at Big Boss Baby for some more of an answer. His old boss sighed and said to him, carefully.

"Giant Boss Baby has disappeared..."

"Oh no..." Ted whispered and I looked confused, trying to guess who this was. I blurted out.

"Who?"

The red headed baby snapped his head up at me, his eyes glaring at me as he barked. "My colleague, you BRAT!"

Suddenly the memory came back to my head of the meek ancient dark baby that sat beside Huge Boss Baby and helped calm him when he had lost his cool at the first meeting with us. I startled back, actually stunned myself at this news and muttered.

"Oh!"

"It's YOUR FAULT!" Huge Boss Baby screamed at Ted, and Ted glared back at him just as angry. "You! You've been making the babies disappear!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SAVE THEM!"

"YOU CAN'T EVEN SAVE YOURSELF!" Huge Boss Baby shrieked at him, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks, "That _child_ is the one always getting YOU out of trouble!"

He pointed to me when he said this, and I pulled a furious face at that allegation as well.

"Hey!"

"You two! JUST GET OUT!" Huge Boss Baby cried and Ted just looked at him slowly, a look of hatred in his eyes, before he turned and began to walk out of the room.

I watched him go, before seeing Big Boss Baby pull a worried look, till she suddenly chased after Ted.

Before I followed my brother as well, I turned to Huge Boss Baby and just yelled.

"Y'know! You're a real jerk! Maybe if you stopped thinking about yourself for a moment and actually listened to all me and Ted did to find the babies today, you'd give up your position to Ted! Because he'd be a much better CEO baby boss than you, any day!"

Huge Boss Baby just stared at me, aghast, his mouth opened, before he dropped on his bottom and just began to cry even louder.

I shook my head a few times, before going out of the room too, looking for my brother and his old boss.

When I found him, he was looking through the glass in a giant empty room, at the clouds all around the building and the stars and moon that had appeared in the last hour up in the sky.

I could see Big Boss Baby was sitting beside him, but only she was doing the talking as he seemed silent in himself.

Cold and distant.

"Look, Theodore..." she said to him with a sigh, and he only stared out at the window as I watched from away, "Huge Boss Baby is just upset... he's worried and doesn't know what to do."

"Yet he blames me..." my brother only muttered and she sighed, adding.

"Well he shouldn't..."

The two were quiet for a moment and she placed her chubby hand on his shoulder, continuing with worried eyes. "The one he should be blaming is-"

Suddenly I yelled, "WATCH _OUT!_ "

The two turned their heads at me surprised, but I ran forward in such haste as I grabbed my brother and his boss, one in each arm and did a tumble on the ground as within a second later, a giant Puppy Co ship crashed through the glass and skidded across the room till it hit the back white wall with a thump.

Me, Ted and Big Boss Baby looked at it, all of us panting out exhausted and terrified breaths, as before us the ship's metal door unlatched. While it slid to the side... the figure of a chubby blonde baby could be seen and I gasped out the words.

"Francis Francis?!"

He looked at us all, and said with a grin as he twirled the formula bottle in his chubby hand.

"You didn't think you two were the only ones with a rocket ship now... did you?"

He began to laugh as he dropped to the floor and toddled towards us quite cheerfully, an evil cheerful if that was even possible.

"Now," he hissed at us, and pointed the bottle like it was a gun at me, Ted and Big Boss Baby as we watched him, all of us steadying our breaths to keep the fear down.

"Where is he?"

We looked at him, confused, till he shouted in fury.

"WHERE IS HUGE BOSS BABY!?"


	12. Chapter 12

We all stared at him, flabbergasted, before Ted squeezed out of my hold and began storming right up to Francis, yelling.

"YOU!"

" _YOU!"_ Francis screamed back and swung a fist suddenly at Ted. My brother, once again swerved a punch directed at his face, before he threw his own punch forward and it hit Francis right on his squishy baby nose!

"Boys! Stop IT!" Big Boss Baby said and she released herself from me too, but I quickly got up on my legs, watching, almost amazed.

My brother... was actually... a good fighter!

Ted dodged each punch that was thrown at him, his head swooping left and right, nearly making him fall over because of the weight of his noggin.

He kicked Francis finally in the spot where you DO NOT KICK A MAN! And the chubby blonde baby fell on his knees in agony, screeching out a yelp as he blocked his area in pain.

" _OW!_ " he yelled, before falling over off his knees to his side like a bowling pin and I clenched my fists, throwing them up in a cheer as I shouted in glee to my brother.

"ONE SCORE, TED!"

" _STOP IT!_ " Big Boss Baby finally shrieked and pulled Ted away, my brother panting and she looked very crossed at him.

"Oh I've w-wanted... to do t-that..." my brother said in huffs and puffs, "For a very long time."

"That's not managerial behaviour, Theodore..." his old boss told him cross, but also worried. "What are you going to be like when you return?"

My eyes widened and so did my brothers. We both looked at her astonished and I spoke up.

"HE'S NOT RETURNING!"

" _WHAT_ IS GOING ON _HERE?!"_

All four of us turned our heads to the massive doorway, seeing tiny Huge Boss Baby storming in, seeming to have gotten over his crying session from before.

He looked at Ted then at Big Boss Baby, then at me... and finally suddenly spotted Francis Francis on the ground in pain.

"Y-you...!" he gasped and Francis blinked his eyes opened, getting up with his body still aching and looked at his old boss in total awe, in total fear, and in total anger.

"YOU!" He yelled suddenly at him and his hand suddenly lunged forward. We all closed our eyes, thinking he was going to punch him. But I peeked opened one eye and looked, just seeing Francis's tiny finger pointing at Huge Boss Baby, with rage.

"How could you fire me?!"

His voice was so shrill it echoed all around the giant white empty room and Huge Boss Baby spat back.

"I had to! You were growing up!"

"But I fixed the formula!" Francis yelled at him, tears in his blue eyes. "I'm a baby again! Can't you see!? I've got dozens of blue formula that lactose intolerant babies can take! I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU PROUD!"

My eyes blinked a few times baffled. I had never seen this side to Francis Francis before... and it was actually making me sympathize with him.

"That's..." Huge Boss Baby continued, and placed his hand down on Francis's finger, pushing it down and away from its accusing pointing at him, "That's not the only reason..."

We all stared, completely puzzled and the red headed baby just walked in small steps back and forth as he explained. Almost in pain.

"You were getting so good... too good... at managing, the numbers, the paperwork... I was afraid... you might replace me if we gave you a promotion to top management with us."

"Replace _you_?" Francis said in horror, and continued, stepping forward, shocked. "You were my hero! I only wanted to work beside you!"

"This is all sounding eerily similar..." I whispered to Ted, and my brother turned to me, a look of worry in his own eyes, as he spoke.

"Tim..."

I looked properly down at him now, and saw the pain and concern deep in his stare.

"I only want to stand by my family's side... I'm telling you the truth."

He spoke the words with such solidarity, such strength, such utmost sincerity and truth that I had to believe the next few words that came out of his tiny mouth.

"I am never returning back to Babycorp. I don't care if I lose my memory... I want to be a Templeton forever..."

"NOOooo!"

The four of us turned our eyes suddenly over to Big Boss Baby as she screamed this in tears and she ran before Ted, pleading to him as she grabbed his suit's black coat.

"Theodore, you can't! You can't go back down there!"

"Why not?!" He shouted at her, so confused and furious too, at her yell at him. I wondered why she didn't want him to be with us? Ted was a family baby, he was meant to grow up... and if we did lose his old persona, I didn't care anymore.

I loved my brother for who he was, for who he could be, and for who he will be.

She had tears rising in her eyes as she cried.

"Because I-"

His eyes looked into hers worried, and she swallowed, letting go of him and saying again, "Because... I-I..."

"Spit it out, Big Boss Baby!" Huge Boss Baby demanded now, and we all looked at her, waiting to hear what she was to say. She looked back and forth at all the eyes around her, staring at her, and she turned around in backwards steps, trying to escape the looks, before she finally shouted.

"BECAUSE I'M THE ONE MAKING ALL THE BABIES DISAPPEAR!"

She slowly reached her hand into her coat pocket and brought out a small electrical blue gun that had a weird clock on it and seemed to have a glass case at the back of it with an electrical cosmo like thing powering it inside.

She pointed it to us all, and I immediately put my hands up, thinking she would explode me with that tiny gun.

Ted didn't however, he just stood there, so confused and hurt at this discovery. I could see an expression on my brother's face I had never seen before.

His heart, as if broken.

And he took a step forward, the other three of us boys gasping, but Big Boss Baby pointed it at him and said quietly, Ted holding still.

"And you are going to stay here...forever."


	13. Chapter 13

The stand off was intense. No.

It was insane.

All our eyes were on Big Boss Baby as she pointed that gun at Ted, and he took a step back, holding up his small hands barely, and asking.

His voice so weak.

"Why...?"

"Why?!" She yelled back in tears, and just dashed her eyes back and forth between the four of us. She stumbled back a little, but still kept her aim on Ted and screamed.

"Because I MISSED you!"

Ted blinked slowly, not understanding this... he glanced his eyes up at me and I looked quickly down at him. It was like he was looking at me for some sort of answer, but I think he already knew what it was, deep in his heart.

"Why...?" he asked again. Big Boss Baby had tears slipping down her cheeks and she nearly lowered her hand just the slightest, as she said.

"BECAUSE I _LOVE_ YOU!"

Ted held still. Not in a shocked way... but just a confused one... somehow it felt like he had known this all along... but it still didn't answer our biggest question.

"But why were you killing the BABIES?!" I yelled suddenly, Francis Francis and Huge Boss Baby looked at me as I roared out this question. I needed an answer, too!

She shook her head quickly, denying this and continued in a stutter, "I-I haven't killed anyone."

"Then where is Giant Boss Baby!" Huge Boss Baby yelled, about to run at her but Big Boss Baby pointed the gun back at him, and he froze stiff in his stance.

"They're... they're fine..."

"And how?"

"I never touched them... I just put them somewhere else."

"WHERE!" Huge Boss Baby demanded, stomping his tiny foot and she looked at him terrified.

"Into the future."

"Wha-?!" I said, completely astounded by this, "How the heck did you do that?"

"With this...?" she said, and wiped her wet cheeks with her free hand, as she held the gun forward still pointing it at Huge Boss Baby. We all looked at it, confused, and she continued, almost scared to say, "It's a time gun..."

"Where did you find that...?" Ted said slowly. The way his eyes looked at her, it was like he was adjusting to seeing his old boss as someone new. Not a villain like the way the other three of us saw her... but someone who he cared enough about to know more of the truth.

I bet he wanted to save her... from who? Maybe herself.

"In the inventory..." she stumbled out, her lips trembling and Ted just nodded his head slowly in reply, saying in a barely heard breath.

"...okay,"

"Well bring them back!" Huge Boss Baby suddenly yelled at her, and she shook her head quickly.

"No!"

"Why, you!" the red headed baby fumed, and stamped his foot forward in fury, less afraid of her even with the danger of that gun sending him into an unknowable future.

"WHY NOT?!"

"Not until Ted comes back to work!" she cried and Ted closed his eyes in pain at that bargain.

"N-no!" I suddenly shouted, taking a step forward too and she turned the gun on me that instant as well, "He's a Templeton! He's a family baby! He DOESN'T WANT TO _BE_ **HERE!** _"_

My own eyes were getting watery at even the thought of losing Ted, and my brother just whispered to me quickly.

"Tim, it'll be okay..."

"Tell her you don't love her and you want to be a Templeton!" I begged him, turning to look at him, and he saw my eyes. How much pain that was in them.

"I can't..." he muttered out, and my mouth opened in horror.

"Because I do love her..."

"You do?!" Big Boss Baby cried in tears of happiness, and Ted just glared at her, yelling.

"But I'm a Templeton now, and I want to grow up!"

"And forget?!" She asked him, and Ted froze a little at that reply. He stared at her, hurt at that reality that could possibly present itself in his own unknowable future if he did return back with me.

"This is enough!" Huge Boss Baby just shrieked in fury, and began to storm towards her, Big Boss Baby pointing the gun back at him and he yelled, "I don't care if you send me into the future! You are FIRED!"

"N-no!" Big Boss Baby whispered in horror. She began to tremble, before flipping a switch on the gun and winding a dial back all the way as she yelled. "If you come any closer I'll... I'll!"

"You'll what?!" He demanded to know, taking step after step nearer, and she screamed.

"I'll send you back before TIME!"

He seemed to freeze when he heard this, and looked at her with a discerning look, hissing, "You wouldn't..."

"I would... and you will never see Giant Boss Baby again..."

Huge Boss Baby glared at her, his blue eyes piercing into her fearful ones, and he only spat.

"You are never working here again! YOU HEAR ME!" She trembled and shook as he howled these words at her, "You will go down there! And you will FORGET!"

"N-no!" she cried.

"YES!"

"No..." Ted only whispered, his voice quiet and his face worried as he looked at the two boss babies stand off.

"You can't make me!" she yelled at him and he just smirked, looking at her with a dark grin as he continued.

"I fired Francis Francis... I can fire you... with or without your precious gun pointing at me."

She stumbled back as he approached and he asked her, angrily, "Now bring HER back!"

He suddenly lunged forward and Big Boss Baby yelped.

It seemed that time slowed down when we all saw a laser like bullet shoot out of the gun. In our amaze, we all held still, expect for him...

My brother.

He grabbed his suitcase and ran forward, jumping through the air and just as the bullet was about to hit its target of the oldest baby in this cloudy world, Ted blocked it with himself and-

It exploded on him, blasting like a million lights. I screamed, running forward. Big Boss Baby dropped the gun, horrified at what she had done as she yelled.

"Ted!"

When the lights dispersed and cleared... we saw just an ashy mark on the ground of where he had been. I dropped to my knees and screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks, as I yelled at her.

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

"N-no!" she begged back, coming towards me, but I tumbled away, trying not to be touched by that evil baby, "No, I never did!"

My heart was hurting so much. My body felt like it was going to throw up... I was in so much pain.

And then it began...

We all lost our footing as the building began to tremble and shake... like there was an earthquake about to occur up here in the sky. I yelled.

"What have you done?!"

She looked at me, not knowing how to reply and I screamed.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

In that second there was a sudden blasting of a white blinding light... as it encapsulated us all.

"Ted!" I yelled, yelling for my brother to save us.

"TED!"


	14. Chapter 14

It happened so fast, I think none of us had even a second to grasp what was before our eyes.

Literally, MILLIONS of babies, filling up every inch of Babycorp. I got up on my feet, being careful not to step on any of the little helpless people. This all didn't make any sense and I looked at Big Boss Baby, demanding.

"What is going on?!"

"I honestly have no idea!" she yelled back, as we had to yell because half the babies were crying. The other half seemed to be business babies as they were looking around confused and were asking each other questions, "But these are all the babies I sent into the future!"

"To this day?!" I yelled, very astonished that she would've picked this exact moment and she shook her head again.

"No, a month from now!"

"Get out of my way!" Huge Boss Baby yelled as he searched the crowds for his collegue and I watched Francis Francis wobble behind him, still eager to get some sort of an answer for all his trouble in getting here to demand back his job.

"Giant Boss Baby! Giant Boss Baby! Where are you?!" the red headed baby screeched through the crowds.

I looked away, back to Big Boss Baby and only saw something that amazed me.

Actual tears in her eyes.

She sniffed her nose, before catching me glance at her and she quickly turned her eyes away, seeming very upset.

"I should have never done any of this..." she mumbled under her voice. "I should have never babynapped everyone and I should have just talked to Ted before he left about how I felt."

"Yeah, you _probably_ should have." I said to her, still very annoyed and upset. I could feel tears trickle down my cheek and I wiped my face with my hand. I smirked a pitiful smile and uttered to her, "I-is... is he...dead?"

"I don't know..." she said back barely, and more watery tears welled in her eyes, "I just... I panicked."

We stood there among the babies, crying along with some of them.

But all this time I felt a grumble in my stomach, of an aching hunger and I looked at her again, shrugging, as I said.

"Well... I might as well eat the cake now..."

I put my hand in my pocket, searching around for the possibly poisonous cake but couldn't feel it in my grasp.

No, what I felt instead... was a watch.

I lowered my eyebrows confused, biting my lip nervously as I took out the small watch and saw it was a Babycorp one. But instead of having a bottle as the 12 number, it had a cartoon picture of Ted's face.

"Ted...?" I whispered, terrified. What was going on? It was ticking away quickly and I jumped to attention over this, as the minute hand was only a couple of minutes away from reaching the cartoon head.

"What is it, Templeton?" Big Boss Baby asked me, quickly, and I lowered my eyes, reading the time as best I could and tapped the watch. Suddenly a beam of white light shot out of the top of it like a laser, and pointed like an arrow to be followed into the distance.

I quickly began to walk the direction it pointed and Big Boss Baby yelled at me, upset.

"Tim!"

"I think..." I said, hope and joy coming back to my heart that had already been through so much that night. "I think Ted... has been messing with time..."

"What?"

"SHH!" I shushed her quickly, and took wonky steps over the babies as I followed the light onwards. For the first time in my life I was the tallest person in a room of millions. And I had to be careful too. One misstep and I could land on a baby's hand or leg.

She followed me quickly as we both hurried the direction of the light. I could see that there was only a minute and a half left before the clock hand reached Ted's face on the watch. When I was able to get passed all the screaming and crying babies, I ran it. Running the direction of the light.

"TIM!" Big Boss Baby screamed at me upset as I disappeared down the corridors.

I ran as fast as I could, but skidded on the marble ground in nearly a fall when I reached the formula room as the light suddenly turned into that dark area.

I walked nervously in. The room was so quiet compared to all the yelling and crying babies outside, and I stepped with quietness across the floor. Giant aisles of bottles stood on each side of me, and I soon nearly tripped when I bumped off something.

I opened my eyes wide as I grabbed whatever was about to fall, and looked in my hands to see that I was holding the glass case of the relic again.

Except... somehow... I knew that that blonde strand of hair in it... was familiar.

" _So, the first baby of Babycorp was a blonde?" I asked with a smirk looking at Ted amused by this fact. "Like you," I added and teased, "Maybe a long lost ancestor."_

I froze as something just then dawned on me.

I could hear the watch start beeping, and I looked my eyes down at it, holding the relic under one arm and glanced back to see the minute hand had reached Ted's face.

At that second, a giant flash of white light blasted down just before my eyes, and when the object in the light smashed to the ground, all the bottles in the aisles shook from the rattling of a near earthquake from the ground shattering landing.

I coughed a little as dust nearly got caught in my throat from the hard hit of the object... and when the smoke and light began to fade away... I saw... I saw...

Him... Ted.

His fist was supporting his tired kneeling self up as he was wearing a very worn out suit, and was struggling to get on his little feet.

In his hand was his most prized possession... his briefcase.

And I gasped out in total disbelief... and complete happiness.

"TED, YOU'RE ALIVE! I-I THOUGHT YOU-!"

Ted just held out his tiny hand to stop me, as if he was exhausted, and looked his ancient baby eyes up at me as he spoke in a triedness that was so much more than I would ever know.

"I'm... I'm back..."


	15. Chapter 15

"You did it..."

Ted slowly with exhausted steps got back on his feet, and I repeated, as if totally awestruck... amazed.

"You did it all..."

"Yes," my brother said back to me, a tired breath escaping his lips, "I did it all..."

"How- WHAT?!" I said, astonished and super elated. I ran over to Ted and picked him up, spinning him around before hugging him and saying, "You really are like Baby Jesus!"

"No." my brother said, panting from exhaustion of a world I couldn't even grasp he had been in, "I'm just a working class baby, trying to do his job."

"You have to tell Huge Boss Baby!" I said to Ted, looking at him in the eyes as I held him a little away from me so I could see his face properly, "You need to totally show him who's boss!"

"That's the thing, Tim..." my brother said back to me quietly, and gave a weak smirk. I became quiet as I saw the sadness in his eyes, "I was there... here... for a very long time... and I'm not him."

"Who?"

"Boss Baby... I'm Ted." he spoke back, tears in his eyes as to finally being back here with me, his family, "Theodore Lindsay Templeton. I don't ever want to stay a baby... not when there is a world, a place... a family... a future down there. And literally none up here."

He took a deep breath in, and touched his forehead in pain, as he uttered out quietly, "And I have to tell them."

I pulled a puzzled look to what he meant, "I have to tell them all..."

~x~

We walked back to the main hall, still filled with millions of crying babies, and my brother normally wouldn't stand out from the crowd... but I held him up in the air, a microphone from the inventory in his hand and he spoke into it, his deep voice reverberating around the room. All the babies, even the normal ones, looked at him surprised.

"Babies, both family and management. Listen."

Everyone watched him, and I could see Big Boss Baby in the crowds, seeming very upset as she watched Ted talk with a voice that held a deep wisdom in it now.

"Babies? Is this what you really want? To stay this way forever? Management babies... do you really just want to live in the sky, never facing reality... never facing a world of both beauty and adventure."

The management babies looked at him, all them silencing their questions as they watched my brother with worry in their eyes.

"Yes." Ted continued, being honest as he spoke into the microphone, "It is also a world of danger... of heart break. But at least down there you know you are actually alive! And not just existing!"

Big Boss Baby turned her eyes down to the ground, in pain at this truth. I saw her stare down to her hands... and all the pain and suffering she had caused.

How she was in pain herself... and was only now realizing how much she hurt.

"Tell me." Ted asked the babies, looking around at them as I held him above me, "How many of you have been tickled?"

The management babies looked at him saddened and he continued.

"How many of you have laughed without control!"

The family babies just giggled at his deep voice and Ted just smiled warmly and worn out, down to them.

"Life isn't this... life is living! DYING! Life is growing up the whole way!"

"YEAH!" I said in a cheer and the management babies looked at Ted, their eyes so worried as if they knew deep down, this is what they needed to hear.

"So tell me." Ted asked them, and looked around at all the conscious grown up eyes in bodies that had never lived in a world down below, "Who here has a tickle spot!"

"... I do..."

Everyone who could, turned their eyes away to the dark meek Giant Boss Baby, as she raised her little hand and stepped forward from the crowds.

Huge Boss Baby said to her in pain, "Giant Boss Baby?!"

"I DON'T want to be a BABY forever!" she cried, and looked at him, looked at all the babies that could see her, "I want... I want more... a mum... dad... I want to live..."

"No...!" he begged and she just walked through the crowds up to me and Ted.

"I have a tickle spot."

"I do too," another baby said nervously, coming forward.

"Me too." said one more. And moments later nearly all the babies were shouting this, begging to be giving to a family.

"You're all insane!" Huge Boss Baby said in panic, as all his workers began to leave him, and Francis Francis nodded his head in agreement.

"You're telling me! Who'd honestly want to go down there!"

"I do." Ted said, his voice so deep and serious and true, "I want to grow up... I want to know what's after this world... what's after being a kid... and what's after being an adult. I want to move on. I want to go onwards, not stay put."

"Well! Well!" Huge Boss Baby said, so disappointed in all his workers, "I DON'T!"

"ME NEITHER!" Francis Francis yelled, his cheeks turning red in fury and Ted just gave a small weak chuckle.

"That's good."

"It is?!" the two of them spat out astonished. My brother nodded his head tiredly.

"Yes... because we're going to need someone to keep this place working when we all leave. _Or_..." my brother continued, looking at them wisely and adding, "Someones..."

Francis Francis and Huge Boss Baby looked at each other, not knowing what to say and Francis Francis just reached his hand out, about to shake the ancient baby's one.

"What do you say? Boss?" He said, his voice nearly pleading to be taken back to Babycorp and working beside his hero, "Can I finally prove to you what I'm capable of?"

Huge Boss Baby looked into Francis's big eager but scared eyes. He then looked down to the outreached hand. He gave a roll of his eyes, swallowing his pride and shook it, saying with a firm smile.

"Yes, you can, partner."

"Partner?!"

"I should have never fired you."

Francis Francis was honestly speechless, he just placed his hand up to his mouth, holding back his gasp and tears of joy, but they still managed to find a way to slip down his chubby cheeks.

"Put me down, Tim..." Ted said, and I obeyed. I placed my brother down to the floor and I saw him look on at Big Boss Baby... the baby looking frightened and alone as if she didn't know her purpose anymore... her place in the world.

"Big Boss Baby..."

She looked at my brother, approaching him in a silent scared way, and said to him with tears.

"Ted... I..." her words were so broken, like she didn't know how to say this, how to get this out, "I don't want to forget."

My brother looked at her with a warm smile and said, his eyes kind and sincere, "I know... no one does..."

She began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks and he just grasped her hand with his two, as he said in pure love.

"And you won't."


	16. Chapter 16

Me and Big Boss Baby followed Ted nervously through the building. As we walked the many halls, I looked out the glass windows, seeing millions of babies all sliding down the swirling slide and entrance way into the real world.

Finally we arrived at a room that looked like a closet, and Ted pushed the door opened. It was a small room... with a small white polished box on the ground, and Ted nudged his head tiredly, telling us to follow.

Me and Big Boss Baby did, and we stood on each side of him, as he unclasped the box, and smoke came out of it... as inside was a golden coloured pacifier.

"A pacifier?" I said, confused.

"Yes... one that will keep all your memories..." Ted said quietly, and looked at his old boss, her eyes shining with fear, "One that you need only suck once a day for a minute... and you will always be you... the you you remember."

"How come..." Big Boss Baby asked, looking at it as he picked it up, and it reflected in her big eyes, "How come there's only one?"

Ted sighed, and took her hand with his free one. He placed the pacifier in it slowly, folding her fingers around it and answered in quiet pain.

"Because... I want to forget."

"I... I don't understand..."

"When you've lived by yourself for a hundred years... never changing... alone..." Ted told her, and looked quietly up at me, my own eyes widening as he spoke these words so solemnly, "It changes you... and sometimes... sometimes, you are not always the baby you thought you were."

He walked away from us after he said this, going to the door and just standing there in silence. We both looked at each other worried, before following and we reached the gateway to the slide in the distance.

"So, is this it?" she asked, tears in her eyes, so upset as she looked in fear at the future just beyond her eyes, "This is the world you want to forget?"

"Yes..."

"But how will I know you'll find me?" she asked, and I looked off awkwardly at all this romantic talk, Ted however, took it quite seriously, "How will I know... that you'll love me again?"

Ted just gave a weak smirk, looking at her with charming eyes, and said to her quietly, a knowing in him that was so much more than any baby had ever had... a Ted that not even I understood anymore.

"Because..." his words were peaceful, quiet and calm. Loving... yet knowing he had to let go, let go and be free.

And the sad thing that I understood just then... is that he wanted to be free from himself... and be like...

Me...

My mouth opened slowly as I realized this and looked at him with worry.

"You always know the one."

Big Boss Baby wiped her face, as tears had started to come down her cheeks from crying and he held her chin up with his hand, smiling at her slowly and she nodded.

"Okay..."

She opened the gate and joined the babies in the queue for a new life... the golden pacifier in her hands.

Before Ted began to head for the slide as well, I stopped him by placing my hand on his shoulder and asked afraid.

"Ted..."

He stilled himself, listening to my words as he watched Big Boss Baby disappear amongst the many babies.

"Ted... I don't want to lose you either..."

He didn't turn to look at me, even though tears had gathered around my eyes as well. And I knew he was smiling a sad smile as he spoke these words with a bittersweet tone.

"That's the thing, Templeton..."

I lifted my hand slowly off him, frightened, as he continued on with a sad honesty.

"Sometimes... it's best to forget yourself... and be born again... be someone new. Because." he continued, and turned to me, holding my hand with his tiny baby ones and seeming so miserable and alone in himself.

"No one would understand the person you are now... so why not be someone... someone who can laugh again, who can cry... and who can be loved."

My eyes were red from my tears, and he pat my hand a few times, before letting go and going towards the slide. I entered too, and followed him.

Before too long I felt myself sliding down the swirling entrance way back to earth, as the clouds and stars and moon around me spun into dizzying sparkles.

And I was gone from Babycorp... ready to go home.

~x~

When I woke up, I realized I was outside in the snow just on the lawn of my family's house.

I sprung up, shivering from the cold, and looked around quickly for him.

"Ted?" I said in panic, looking for my brother and realizing I must have been asleep for hours, "TED?!"

I quickly ran to my house's door and flung it open, running up the stairs and to my brother's room.

For some reason I was terrified, memories of when those little baby workers had come in those plastic suits to my home to make my parents forget about my brother... and asking me if I did too.

I never wanted to forget Ted, the Ted I knew... but I knew I couldn't have my brother as he once was.

When... when he had made his decision.

I opened the door to his room, and just creaked it opened. The room was silent, expect for the slight snoozing of a baby in the white crib.

I approached him quietly, leaning my arms against the borders and seeing him there sleeping.

"Oh, Ted..." I said, beginning to cry... crying like a baby myself as I just couldn't accept this.

I wanted to keep my brother, no, I wanted to keep my best friend.

I didn't even feel like I got to say goodbye to the Ted, to the Boss Baby I knew and loved. I didn't even feel like I got to say... goodbye.

But I would accept his decision, I would accept his choice in being someone new. Someone who was really starting again, and was no longer afraid of the unknown.

Just like I had been when I was born. Just like I was now at seven years old. I ran into life full of excitement, full of wonder and awe.

And in the end, that's what I wanted for Ted. That's what I wanted for my best friend and brother.

I began to walk away, tears still streaming down my cheeks and I heard a deep voice say just as I was about to leave the room.

"Tim..."

"Ted!" I shouted back, and ran back to the crib, looking down quickly to see if he was awake.

He was... and he lay there... just waiting for his last hours of the Boss Baby persona to be up... for his life to start anew.

"Tim..." he spoke quietly and turned around, looking at me with sad tired eyes, but eyes of acceptance and inner peace at his choice, "I want to tell you something."

"What?!" I asked, tears slipping down my cheeks and I cried there, just wanting to know what his wise words would be this time.

"I may forget who I am... but there's something I know I'll always be."

I looked at him, biting my lip in fear. But needed to know. Needed to know.

"...what?"

"I'll always be your best friend, I'll always be your brother... till the end of time... and I hope... I hope you will always be mine."

"Well, duh!" I said in a laugh and he just smirked weakly at that, a little amused at my still kiddish antics.

"I'll be gone in a few hours... but Tim... I want you to listen."

"I am!" I whined, annoyed at him as if he thought I was stupid and he chuckled this time, shaking his head.

"No... listen..."

I lowered my eyebrows close to my eyes, and perked up my ears.

Suddenly I heard it.

Babies crying, wailing in the night in the street and parents running across hallways to the yelling infants to soothe them.

"They're..." I said, happiness coming to my soul and I shook the cot excited, "They're all back!"

"Yes..." Ted said quietly with a smile, and lay on his back, looking at me with love of a brother who was finally at peace, "Yes, they are..."

I smiled in glee, in pure joy and thought of how me and my brother had solved the mystery... had solved everything and the world was saved and back to normal.

But I swallowed, becoming quiet again as I looked down at my infant brother and said quietly... a bit scared.

"Ted..."

He looked at me, a bit confused.

"I know I've never said this... but I've thought it, and always thought it was obvious... but maybe it wasn't exactly..." I was rambling, I knew I was but I had to get these words out, "But bro, Ted Templeton, the great Ted Templeton." I swallowed, afraid to say the words, but when I looked at him... all fear vanished, "I love you, little brother."

Ted looked at me, as if tears were swelling in his own eyes, and he nodded his head. He remained silent for a while before saying with a small smile.

"Yeah, I love you too, big brother..."

"See you..." I said to him, nervously, but glad I got to finally make my feelings clear to my brother. For he was my best friend, and if you love someone, a family member... and friend... you have to let them know. Because one day they won't be there anymore.

And he was going to be gone within the next few hours.

"See you on the other side."

"See you... on the other side..." Ted said with a soft smile and nodded his head. He reached his hand out in a fist, and I blinked my eyes, but crinkled them a little with warmth, knowing what he was trying to put forth.

Our own secret handshake.

I reached my hand forward and held his tiny baby fist with my index finger and thumb. I shook his hand, and then let go... and he smiled a pleased, sleepy smile.

"Well..." I said nervously, tears welling in my eyes again as I looked at him start to drift off... and the next morning he would be gone for good.

Gone... but not really ever gone...

"Love you bro, good night... Ted..."

"Good night, Lesley..."

I screwed a funny look at that answer, and looked at him with a amused expression as he closed his eyes and turned on his side.

"Yeah... g-goodnight... Lindsay... Templeton..."

~x~

The next morning he was gone... and Theodore Lindsay Templeton was back... my baby brother was back... and it was both a sad feeling that the Boss Baby was gone... but also... a feeling of understanding.

Somethings come to an end... some people have to go for other's to have a chance of coming alive.

And sometimes you have to let go of the person you knew... for them to be someone new... someone who could start again.

~x~

I looked at my young daughter warmly as I finished the story to her, and she just looked at me with confused tears in her eyes.

We had just taking her little baby sister home from the hospital and my seven year old of my own, still had many questions about why her baby sister was wearing a suit, and if anything I said was actually true or not.

But somehow, I knew she believed me on this... she knew in her little heart that this story I told her child mind was more real than somethings she had seen and experienced from day one of her life.

"Why did you let him forget?" She asked me, and I just pat her on the shoulder, holding her baby sister in my other arm and looking at her blonde short hair in piggy tails as she slept.

"I didn't let him..." I told my older daughter with a fond smile as I remembered this all, "I just accepted that that's what he wanted... he wanted to move on..."

"I'm telling uncle Ted." my young daughter said in an upset voice and began to run to her uncle who was in the other room talking to his wife and mine.

I listened as she spoke these words to my younger brother and he just chuckled, laughing this crazy story off... like it was pure ludicrous. I sighed... but it wasn't just a sad sigh... it was also a slightly at peace one.

For Ted had gotten what he always wanted, to grow up... and be himself.

And I knew now... that we never really lose the old parts of ourselves... we just... grow up... and change...

And he was still the brother I knew and loved... except he would never say those silly sentimental words to me.

Because Ted had grown up... and surprisingly, was CEO of his own company.

I had to laugh at that fact... as there was always still that Boss Baby... hidden in him.

He came out as my seven year old pulled him by his suit's sleeve and he looked down to his second niece, his wife coming out too and looking at me with quiet eyes.

Eyes that knew the truth that Ted would always deny...

She had her brown hair in a beehive style, and was wearing glasses. And was quite smart and with it... but she had been through a life I could not even imagine... as she had kept that golden pacifier... she had showed me it when I met her when I was aged twenty five... my brother being eighteen years old when he fell for her.

"Uncle Ted! Uncle Ted!" my daughter whined to her blonde uncle and demanded an answer. "Is it really true?! Did you really come down from the sky?"

"No..." he laughed, and looked at me as if I was delusional sometimes with the stories I came up with, "I was born the natural way, which I will tell you one day when you are old enough."

"We will tell her." my wife shouted from away and he only rolled his eyes, breathing out a heavy breath at the lies he thought I told her sometimes.

"Kids will believe anything... ay, Francine?"

"Yeah, completely..." his wife said and my blonde baby suddenly opened her eyes, looking up at me and I knew she was conscious... and was here for a reason... for she had a mission... just like Ted had once had when he had come into our home, the Templeton family.

"But sometimes..." Francine continued, looking at me worried as she looked down to the baby and how the little girl seemed to be stretching as she yawned and grinned at me, "Sometimes... things that seem impossible can actually... be more true than what we know..."

"Yeah... I guess... sometimes..." he had to agree, nodding his head and coming over to me, looking at the baby.

"She's quite with it..." he said, smiling tenderly down to her, and the baby girl just giggled, looking up at me and winking.

I froze a little, as I knew she was going to do something that normal babies never did... she was going to-

"Daddy..." she spoke to me, and I nodded my head, a little in fear. Ted stumbled back astonished, frightened at what he perceived to be a possessed child, "Daddy, we need your help..."

"SHE CAN TALK!" Ted yelled in horror and I just smirked, saying back to him with a smile.

"Well, duh."

"What- those stories you told-" Ted stuttered out, pointing to the baby and then to me and Francine, "They're... they're real?!"

"Well, duh..." I said again with another smirk and chuckled, lifting my daughter up in the air and looking at her with a small smile.

"What is it, honey?"

"You don't mind..." she said nervously, looking at me with worried eyes, as she had something she had to get out... and it was this family she had chosen to be with, "You don't mind going on another adventure...?"

I began to grin widely, and my wife came in, thinking she was hallucinating when she had heard another female's voice that wasn't our seven year old's or Francine's.

I looked to Ted, To Francine, to my seven year daughter and to my wife, and said to the new member of our family... excitement pouring into me again, just like when I was a little boy at age seven and a half.

"I'd love too..."

The baby looked relieved and I continued, looking at my family and adding, my seven year old jumping up and down in excitement that all I told was the truth.

"We'd all love too..."

My baby girl smiled widely...

The Templetons were going to save the world... once again...


End file.
